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The Guardia Civil is investigating two people in Cieza following an animal welfare investigation involving a group of fighting roosters that had their combs removed.

 

The investigation, led by the force's Nature Protection Service (Seprona), centres on the owner of around 20 Spanish fighting roosters and a veterinarian who allegedly certified the procedure.

 

Officers were alerted several weeks ago to concerns about the condition of fighting roosters being kept at a property in the municipality. Seprona officers subsequently carried out inspections at a home and a farm linked to the case.

 

During the visits, investigators found a number of roosters that had undergone comb removal, a procedure in which the fleshy crest on top of a rooster's head is cut away.

 

The owner reportedly presented a veterinary certificate stating that the procedure had been carried out by a qualified professional. However, according to the Guardia Civil, further checks raised questions about the documentation.

 

Investigators say the certificate authorised the comb removal of a group of birds but did not provide an individual medical justification for each animal, nor did it specify exactly how many birds had undergone the procedure.

 

Following the investigation, the Guardia Civil identified and formally investigated both the owner of the birds and the veterinarian who issued the certificate. They are being treated as alleged perpetrators of an offence relating to animal welfare.

 

Under Spain's animal welfare legislation, bodily modifications and mutilations are generally prohibited unless there is a genuine medical or surgical need.

 

While comb trimming has traditionally been associated with fighting roosters, current regulations only allow the procedure in specific cases where it is necessary for the animal's health, such as serious infections or tumours. In those circumstances, it must be carried out by a licensed veterinarian using anaesthesia and with an individual assessment of the animal's condition.

 

The investigation is ongoing.

 

Images: Guardia Civil